Gauging the heat on these 10 college football coaches

Hot

Lincoln Riley | USC

Riley has had a tough time replicating his success at Oklahoma for the Trojans. He's 26-14 but headed in the wrong direction. A 7-6 mark last season was disappointing after an 8-5 record in 2023. Trojan fans looking for hope can point to five of last season's losses coming by one possession. Riley needs those close games to go the other way.

“I guess the way I’ve always looked at USC is I equate them to Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and Florida,” former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer said. “I’ve always looked at USC as one of the top five jobs in America. So, I’ve got a lot of respect for Lincoln Riley, and I promised myself I would never call for jobs — because I’m not gonna do that.

“However, when seven, eight wins is acceptable at USC, that’s when I don’t know. I don’t agree with that.”

Mark Stoops | Kentucky

The end is near for the Stoops era at Kentucky. The Wildcats missed a bowl last season for the first time in nine years and surely there's still awkwardness from Stoops' 2023 near-departure for Texas A&M. Since then, Kentucky is 11-14 and was beaten down by rival Louisville last season, ending a five-game winning streak against the Cardinals. It's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport and Stoops hasn't done much at Kentucky.

“This is a make-or-break year for the future of this program," a rival SEC anonymously told Athlon Sports. "He’s got a very friendly contract that makes him hard to fire, but right now it’s hard to look at the overall roster here and think they’re keeping pace with programs like Vanderbilt and South Carolina, who changed with the time.”

Luke Fickell | Wisconsin

This isn't how it was supposed to go for Fickell at Wisconsin. When the Badgers hired him from Cincinnati after a strong six-year run, it was viewed as a home run hire. However, Fickell is 12-13 in two full seasons in Madison. The Badgers didn't play in a bowl last season for the first time since 2001, and in a tougher-than-ever Big Ten, Wisconsin looks far from a contender.

The urgency to win isn't just from outside the program. Fickell feels it, too. "There is [urgency to win]," Fickell told ESPN's Pete Thamel. "And obviously from within the building, it's all about this mountain to climb."

Warm

Billy Napier | Florida

Some might argue Napier still belongs in the "hot" category, but an 8-5 record last season, while dealing with injuries to crucial players (including QB DJ Lagway), was enough to cool his seat a bit.

Florida is a dark-horse College Football Playoff contender, but a difficult schedule awaits. For what it's worth, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin has always had Napier's back.

Mike Norvell | Florida State

Things change quickly in college football. Norvell's Seminoles narrowly missed the CFP in 2023, but then face-planted in 2024 and finished 2-10. Now we find out which direction the program will go under his leadership. Improvement will allow him to continue as Seminoles coach in 2026, but anything under .500 will put him in an uncomfortable position.

Entering 2025, Norvell is ready to turn the page. "Anytime you have a season like last year, it's extremely disappointing. I'm disappointed in it, but you don't get caught up dwelling on the things that happened," Norvell said, per News4JAX.

Temperature could rise quickly

Sherrone Moore | Michigan

Moore took over for Jim Harbaugh and punctuated his first season with a surprising win at Ohio State. An 8-5 record isn't necessarily cause for concern, but with big money spent to get him top players such as touted freshman QB Bryce Underwood, there are huge expectations for Year 2. Plus, per ESPN, he faces a two-game suspension for the university's advanced scouting scandal.

“Last year was kind of a weird season for them,” an anonymous Big Ten coach told On3. “Sherrone Moore was thrown into the fire. That was a tough spot. ... But honestly, he did a pretty solid job, all things considered. They were a little beat up, depth was tested.”